Woolaston Primary School

Inspection of Woolaston Primary School Netherend, Lydney, Gloucestershire GL15 6PH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 17 and 18 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy, nurturing and inclusive school. Pupils are friendly and polite. Relationships between pupils and staff are kind and respectful. Staff care for pupils and help them to learn well. One parent commented, ‘The culture is nurturing, considerate and supportive to all.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders recognise the importance of pupil voice. The school council and eco council are active in the daily life of the school. Pupils relate the fundamental British values to their roles and responsibilities. They know that democracy was used to vote them in to their role. Pupils choose a charity to support every year. They learn how to help others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. All staff use consistent procedures and routines to support pupils to behave well. Pupils know who they can turn to if they need help with any worries they have. This helps them to feel safe. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They are confident that adults will sort out any problems quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents describe the positive impact the school has had on their child’s confidence. They appreciate the opportunities that leaders provide to support pupils’ academic and social development.

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better?

Leaders work to bring about improvements with determination. They provide clarity and direction. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum, especially in English and mathematics. Pupils learn well in mathematics because leaders have identified the key knowledge that they need to learn. Teachers encourage pupils to use equipment to support their mathematical understanding. For example, in the early years, this helps children to identify odd and even numbers. However, in some foundation subjects, pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could because the previous curriculum left them with gaps in their understanding. Leaders are taking steps to ensure these gaps reduce.

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better?

The curriculum has been strengthened recently in some subjects, such as art and design and history. Subject leaders have designed the curriculum to build pupils’ knowledge from the early years to Year 6. They regularly monitor their subjects. However, some subject leaders have not yet acted on what they know. Pupils do not yet know and remember more in all subjects. Leaders ensure that the curriculum for all subjects starts in the early years. For example, in history, children sort old and new toys and explain their choices. Children discuss things that have happened in the past to develop their vocabulary for history learning in Year 1. 17 and 18 May 2023

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Leaders prioritise reading. All staff are well trained to teach phonics. Staff use consistent approaches to teach pupils how to read. This helps pupils to become fluent readers. Leaders check that pupils read books that match their phonic knowledge. Any pupil who falls behind receives appropriate support to catch up quickly. Staff emphasise new vocabulary and help pupils to remember it. For example, in the early years, children explore exciting activities to help them understand the meaning of ‘ooze’.

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Pupils read widely and regularly. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about the range of books by different authors they have been reading. Pupils have plenty of opportunities to read for pleasure. They look forward to their daily story time.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Leaders know the needs of these pupils well and ensure their needs are met. Leaders identify and eliminate barriers to learning. The nurture provision is a special place. Pupils with social and emotional needs receive the support they need to understand and manage their feelings.

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Pupils understand the importance of physical and mental health to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They have a developing sense of fundamental British values and how they relate to their own lives. Pupils understand the importance of tolerance and respect for everybody. They enjoy attending a range of sporting and art clubs.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. One pupil said they ‘learn something new every day.’ Pupils are keen to succeed and focus well on their learning.

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Leaders have made many recent improvements. Staff say that leaders consider their well-being and workload throughout the changes. Governors have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They are highly committed to the continued development of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise safeguarding. They provide regular training. Staff know pupils’ needs well. This helps them to remain vigilant to any potential concerns. Safeguarding record-keeping is detailed. Concerns about pupils are recorded without delay. Leaders liaise with external agencies to get pupils and their families the help they need.

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Safeguarding

Recruitment procedures are robust. Leaders make the necessary safeguarding checks when appointing new staff.

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Safeguarding

Pupils understand how to stay safe both online and physically. This includes keeping safe in the local community, such as road safety. 17 and 18 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Monitoring and evaluation of foundation subjects are at an early stage. As a result, subject leaders have not yet acted on their findings to improve the curriculum further. Some pupils may not learn as well as they could. Subject leaders need to carry out their roles effectively to bring about further improvements.  The curriculum in the foundation subjects is still relatively new. Legacy gaps in pupils’ knowledge remain. This hinders pupils’ building of knowledge over time. Leaders need to ensure that teachers identify and address any remaining gaps so that pupils learn the new curriculum as intended.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 17 and 18 May 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Richard Heys and Marion Evans (Co-chairs) Headteacher Jennifer Lane

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Forest Edge Federation.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders and members of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with 17 and 18 May 2023

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subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to an adult.  The lead inspector had meetings with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the administrator, a representative from the local authority and members of the governing body.  The lead inspector met the designated safeguarding leads, checked the single central record and looked at safeguarding records.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class and around school, including at breaktimes. Inspectors held discussions with leaders about pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors gathered parents’ views by considering their responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and by talking to parents after school. Inspectors considered the views of a range of pupils. They also considered

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Inspection team

Lizzy Meadows, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah O’Donnell Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 May 2023

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